Sputtering

[wildfan17]

we were out driving around the lake tonight in my 88 4 speed, and it started sputtering after about a mile, it seemed like it wasn't getting enough gas, and would only go 35 in 3rd and 45 in 4th. when we pulled off to the side of the road the engine was smoking. we think this is oil burning off the exhaust since we fixed an oil leak yesterday (front seal).

[1988redfordfestiva]

check your terminalvacuum switches under the throttle body check that out also inspect between carb and intake heated gasket which 88 have and check for gas leaks on or around carb

[wildfan17]

where is the throttle body? i should add i just bought the car earlier this week and it had old gas we are assuming about a year old since thats how long it sat. and i filled it up last night so it might just now be getting the new gas.

[1988redfordfestiva]

well its an 88 u should be using 89 in it i have an 88 myself and i've rebuilt the carb u know i bet u might ned to alot cause i bet the car was sitting alot

[wildfan17]

i have 87 or whatever the cheap stuff is... it ran fine on the 150 mile drive home, and all day yesterday and today until about an hour ago. wheres the throttle body?

[1988redfordfestiva]

yeah u should of drained it and cleaned out the tank cause now i bet u have sludge in the lines get some iso heat and 93 octane in the tank and spray some carb cleaner in the carb and rev it and see if it sputters u might need to change the fuel filter before doing this cause your supose to change that every 6 oil changes or once a year lol i keep mine clean 24/7 and i'm on top of it

[wildfan17]

alright, and also it idles fine, and it really sputters when you switch gears, the sludge makes a lot of sense, i will get some iso heat and 93 octane

[1988redfordfestiva]

and one other thing what kind of spark plugs are in there ? if u havent changed them get some acdelco spark plugs they work alot better then champion i got a set if u need the numbers i have them in my toolbox here in the house u never know u can have a wire arching as well to if u never inspected the wires and cap i replaced mine when i got the car cause of that issue

[wildfan17]

no idea what kind of plugs, the guy said they were new

[1988redfordfestiva]

check them if u can and get back to me i bet there not gaped right either

[1988redfordfestiva]

acdelco #r42xls best spark plug i ever used for the festiva
the ones that are the worst for the festiva are champion rn11yc4's junk

[TominMO]

+1 on the fuel filter; plus fresh gas, and gas treatment to get water out of the old gas.

[wildfan17]

i bought the iso heat, they didnt have 93 octane. we took it for about a 10 mile drive and most of the time it didnt sputter, we are thinking its the filter. since it was only really doing it when we shifted into a new gear we tried reving it higher before the shift, and it shifted smoothly and didnt sputter. i will add the iso heat tomorrow, and we didnt check the plugs yet but we will monday. I dont think I will be able to get a fuel filter tomorrow since all the auto stores are closed, maybe the fleet supply will have one but it would probably be universal.

[mechanicaldj]

you might also want to check the distributor cap for moisture

[91blufestiva]

Hey Mech, I talked to you on the phone tonight, this is the car we were having problems with.